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Synonyms

dead set

American  
[ded set, ded set] / ˈdɛd ˈsɛt, ˈdɛd ˌsɛt /

adjective

  1. firmly decided or determined; resolved.

    His family was dead set against the marriage.

noun

  1. a serious or determined attempt; firm effort.

    He made a dead set at winning the championship.

  2. Hunting. the stiff posture assumed by a hunting dog in indicating the presence and location of game.

dead set British  

adverb

  1. absolutely

    he is dead set against going to Spain
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the motionless position of a dog when pointing with its muzzle towards game

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (of a hunting dog) in this position

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. slang an expression of affirmation

    dead set, I worked from dawn to dusk
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dead set

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With Poland dead set against it, that means either France or Italy, both home to rowdy agricultural lobbies, would have to sign on.

From Barron's • Dec. 30, 2025

“There were some colleagues that were dead set against it, saying they would never help China learn our technology,” said one magnet expert who ultimately agreed to go to China.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

"The very fact they were dead set on employing these independent advocates themselves says something about the culture - its control, and just not even beginning to understand the nature of independence."

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

“My wife and I are both dead set that this is an absolute wrong, and we will fight this to the death,” Scott Anderson, who owns a golf course in Gilbert, Ariz., told The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2024

She had her mind dead set on messing up Big Joe’s funeral.

From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.